Bunkie is a city in
Avoyelles Parish,
Louisiana
Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
, United States. The population was 4,171 at the
2010 census.
History
Bunkie was founded as a station terminus on the Texas and Pacific Railroad line. It was named for the daughter (whose nickname was "Bunkie") of the original landowner.
The federal post office in town contains a mural, ''Cotton Pickers'', painted in 1939 during the Great Depression by
Caroline Speare Rohland. Federally commissioned murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the
Section of Painting and Sculpture
Section, Sectioning, or Sectioned may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea
* Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents
** Section s ...
, later called the
Section of Fine Arts
Section, Sectioning, or Sectioned may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea
* Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents
** Section sig ...
, of the
Treasury Department. This work was part of the effort by the federal government to employ artists during the difficult Depression years.
The area around Bunkie is devoted to agriculture; since the late 20th century, corn has been an important commodity crop. Since 1987, Bunkie has hosted the annual Louisiana Corn Festival during the second full weekend of June.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.57%, is water.
Climate
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 3,346 people, 1,702 households, and 1,227 families residing in the city.
Notable people
*
Sue Eakin, Louisiana
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...
and former publisher of the ''Bunkie Record''
*
Donald E. Hines, Physician and former member of the
Louisiana State Senate
The Louisiana State Senate (; ) is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and participate in various committees.
Composition
The Louisiana State Senate has 39 members elected from single-member districts ...
*
Ronnie Johns, a former member of the
Louisiana State Senate
The Louisiana State Senate (; ) is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and participate in various committees.
Composition
The Louisiana State Senate has 39 members elected from single-member districts ...
*
Zutty Singleton jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
drummer
*
Seymour Weiss, prominent New Orleans civic leader, born in Bunkie in 1896.
References
External links
*
*
Bunkie community website
{{Authority control
Cities in Louisiana
Cities in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana